EP0048774A1 - Elektrochemische Zelle - Google Patents

Elektrochemische Zelle Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0048774A1
EP0048774A1 EP80303288A EP80303288A EP0048774A1 EP 0048774 A1 EP0048774 A1 EP 0048774A1 EP 80303288 A EP80303288 A EP 80303288A EP 80303288 A EP80303288 A EP 80303288A EP 0048774 A1 EP0048774 A1 EP 0048774A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
anode
cell
cathode
ceramic
lithium
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP80303288A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Vincent Owen Catanzarite
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Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to EP80303288A priority Critical patent/EP0048774A1/de
Publication of EP0048774A1 publication Critical patent/EP0048774A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M6/00—Primary cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M6/14—Cells with non-aqueous electrolyte
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/40—Separators; Membranes; Diaphragms; Spacing elements inside cells
    • H01M50/409—Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by the material
    • H01M50/431—Inorganic material
    • H01M50/434—Ceramics
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M2300/00—Electrolytes
    • H01M2300/0017—Non-aqueous electrolytes
    • H01M2300/002—Inorganic electrolyte

Definitions

  • This invention relates to high energy electrochemical power cells. More particularly, it relates to cells having an oxidizable anode material that is chemically very active and under certain circumstances explosive in the presence of other cell components unless precisely controlled.
  • an electrochemical cell having an alkali metal anode, a cathode spaced therefrom and an electrolyte in contact with the cathode and anode, an anode neutralizing agent which is reactive with the anode at about the melting point thereof, with the reaction between the agent and anode being either endothermic, neutral or only mildly exothermic.
  • the said agent is preferably an inorganic solid positioned adjacent the said anode, the agent being substantially nonreactive with all cell chemicals or reaction by-products below a predetermined temperature around the melting temperature of the said anode.
  • the agent may take the form of a ceramic material and in the case of a lithium anode, a 95 percent alumina, 5 percent silicate ceramic in the form of a fiberous paper that also acts as a separator between anode and cathode is preferred.
  • liquid Cathode Inorganic liquids
  • oxyhalides are liquids at room temperature and also perform the function of being the active cathode depolarizer. Additionally, these materials may also be used as the electrolyte solvent. Liquid cathode cells using oxyhalides are described in U.S. Patent No. 3,926,669 issued to Auborn on December 16, 1975, and in British Patent No. 1,409,307 issued to Blomgren et al. on October 18, 1975. At least one of the oxyhalides, thionyl chloride (SOC1 2 ), in addition to having the general characteristics described above, also provides substantial additional energy density.
  • SOC1 2 thionyl chloride
  • the anode is lithium metal or alloys of lithium and the electrolyte solution is an ionically conductive solute dissolved in a solvent that is also an active cathode depolarizer.
  • the solute may be a simple or double salt which will produce an ionically conductive solution when dissolved in the solvent.
  • Preferred solutes are complexes of inorganic or organic Lewis acids and inorganic ionizable salts.
  • the requirements for utility are that the salt, whether simple or complex, be compatible with the solvent being employed and that it yield a solution which is ionically conductive.
  • the Lewis or electronic concept of acids and bases many substances which contain no active hydrogen can act as acids or acceptors or electron doublets.
  • U.S. Patent No. 3,542,602 it is suggested that the complex or double salt formed between a Lewis acid and an ionizable salt yields an entity which is more stable than either of the components alone.
  • Typical Lewis acids suitable for use in the present invention include aluminum chloride, antimony pentchloride, zirconium tetrachloride, phosphorus pentchloride, boron fluoride, boron chloride and boron bromide.
  • Ionizable salts useful in combination with the Lewis acids include lithium fluoride, lithium chloride, lithium bromide, lithium sulfide, sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride and potassium bromide.
  • the double salts formed by a Lewis acid and an inorganic ionizable salt may be used as such or the individual components may be added to the solvent separately to form the salt.
  • One such double salt for example, is that formed by the combination of aluminum chloride and lithium chloride to yield lithium aluminum tetrachloride.
  • any compatible solid which is substantially electrically conductive and inert in the cell, will be useful as a cathode collector since the function of the collector is to permit external electrical contact to be made with the active cathode material. It is desirable to have as much surface contact as possible between the liquid cathode and the current collector. Therefore, a porous material is preferred since it will provide a high surface area interface with the liquid cathode material.
  • the current collector may be metallic and may be present in any physical form such as metallic film, screen or a pressed powder. Examples of some suitable metal current collectors are provided in Table II of the Auborn Patent. The current collector may also be made partly or completely of carbon. Examples provided in the Blomgren Patent use graphite.
  • the anode is chemically stable with all of the original celHchemicals--at least at normal operating temperatures.
  • new chemicals not originally present in a fresh cell often are created either as normal discharge by-products, as the result of electrolysis from an externally imposed current or from high temperature.
  • the new chemicals are found in the cathode material and are, if solid, isolated from the lithium.
  • molten lithium readily passes through most separators and can then react with the chemicals in the cathode.
  • inorganic insulators namely glasses and ceramics (these terms will be used interchangably hereinafter) meet the foregoing requirements.
  • These materials are usually made from metal oxides with each such metal oxide being a phase of the total glass or ceramic.
  • the principal distinction between a glass and a ceramic is that ceramics have a crystalline structure and glasses do not.
  • the chemical and physical properties of these materials useful in the present invention are summarized graphically in what is called a phase diagram which shows the melting point of the material as a function of the percentage and type of metal oxide in each phase. With most ceramics, there is a minimum temperature above which certain other materials will react to form a new ceramic. Below this temperature, virtually no reaction takes place.
  • the neutralizing agent In order for the invention to work most effectively, the neutralizing agent must be spaced between the anode and cathode. However, it cannot interfere with the flow of electrolyte. In other words, it must be porous. Applicant has also found that these materials are good separators. Accordingly, an aspect of applicant's invention is the utilization of the same member as both the separator and neutralization agent.
  • an electrochemical cell constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10. While the particular cell illustrated is a button battery, it will become apparent hereinafter that all cells including the larger sized cells may incorporate the various features of the present invention to be described with respect to cell 10.
  • cell 10 is shown to include an overall casing arrangement 12 which defines an internal, fluid tight chamber 14.
  • This overall casing arrangement includes a casing 16 which is comprised of a top cover 18 having a central opening 20 extending through its top end and an outwardly flared circumferential flange 22 located at and around its bottom end.
  • the casing also includes a bottom cover 24 having an outwardly flared circumferential flange 26 which is welded or otherwise suitably fastened to the top cover around the underside of flange 22, as best illustrated in Figure 2.
  • the casing may be of any desired shape and constructed of any suitable material, so long as the selection is compatible with the present invention. However, the casing is preferably identical in design to the casing described in co-pending United States Patent Application S.N. 840,522, filed on October 11, 1977, and assigned to Applicant of the present invention.
  • the overall casing arrangement 12 includes a pair of electrically insulated terminals, one of which is the casing itself.
  • the other electrode 28 is constructed of any suitable electrically conductive material, such as stainless steel. Electrode 28 may be utilized to introduce the cell's liquid constituent into compartment 14 and, hence, may be tubular. This terminal extends through opening 20 and is spaced from top cover 18 such that one section of the terminal is positioned ouside the casing.
  • overall casing arrangement 12 also includes a circumferential insulation member 30 which is located within and which fills opening 20 in top cover 18, concentrically around terminal 28, thereby insulating this terminal from the casing.
  • the outer circumferential surface of the insulator is bonded in a continuous fashion to the top cover 18 around opening 20 and its inner circumferential surface is bonded in a continuous fashion to and around the outer surface of terminal 28.
  • insulator 30 is a ceramic insulator described more fully in British Patent Specification. No. 2005908.
  • battery 10 includes an arrangement of chemically interacting components which are generally designated at 32 in Figure 2 and which produce the desired voltage difference across the cell terminals.
  • These components include an anode 34 and a solid cathode 36 spaced from and in a plane parallel to anode 34.
  • Separator 38 mechanically separates the anode from solid cathode.
  • Anode 34 is an alkali metal such as lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium; but in a preferred embodiment it is lithium.
  • Separator 38 is also the anode neutralizing agent and is a fiberous sheet material made from a two-phase ceramic consisting of 95 percent (by dry weight) AL 2 0 3 and 5 percent Si0 2 . This two-phase ceramic system in the presence of lithium, converts to a three-phase lithium rich ceramic system below or at the melting point of lithium.
  • Cathode collector 36 consists of a high surface area carbon such as acetylene black.
  • the overall voltage difference producing arrangement includes an electrolyte solution, preferably of the type previously described including a solute (salt) and a solvent which also acts as the active cathode depolarizer (liquid cathode) generally designated at 40.
  • This solution is located within and fills chamber 14 and thus is in direct contact with the anode, cathode collector and inner surface of casing 16.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Secondary Cells (AREA)
  • Primary Cells (AREA)
EP80303288A 1980-09-18 1980-09-18 Elektrochemische Zelle Withdrawn EP0048774A1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP80303288A EP0048774A1 (de) 1980-09-18 1980-09-18 Elektrochemische Zelle

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP80303288A EP0048774A1 (de) 1980-09-18 1980-09-18 Elektrochemische Zelle

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0048774A1 true EP0048774A1 (de) 1982-04-07

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP80303288A Withdrawn EP0048774A1 (de) 1980-09-18 1980-09-18 Elektrochemische Zelle

Country Status (1)

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EP (1) EP0048774A1 (de)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2263115A1 (de) * 1971-12-27 1973-07-12 Gte Laboratories Inc Elektrochemische zelle
US3926669A (en) * 1972-11-13 1975-12-16 Gte Laboratories Inc Electrochemical cells having an electrolytic solution comprising a covalent inorganic oxyhalide solvent
US3985573A (en) * 1975-06-30 1976-10-12 Union Carbide Corporation Slotted cathode collector bobbin for use in liquid cathode cell systems
US4167608A (en) * 1977-08-29 1979-09-11 Vincent Owen Catanzarite Additive for lithium anode, thionyl chloride active cathode electrochemical cell

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2263115A1 (de) * 1971-12-27 1973-07-12 Gte Laboratories Inc Elektrochemische zelle
US3926669A (en) * 1972-11-13 1975-12-16 Gte Laboratories Inc Electrochemical cells having an electrolytic solution comprising a covalent inorganic oxyhalide solvent
US3985573A (en) * 1975-06-30 1976-10-12 Union Carbide Corporation Slotted cathode collector bobbin for use in liquid cathode cell systems
US4167608A (en) * 1977-08-29 1979-09-11 Vincent Owen Catanzarite Additive for lithium anode, thionyl chloride active cathode electrochemical cell

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Gmelins Handbuch der Anorganischen Chemie, 8. Auflage, Erganzungsband Verlag Chemie 1960, seite 211 "Siliciumverbindungen" *

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